Landscaping, Gardening, Landscape Lighting

If you are gardening indoors, you know that your plants need water, food and light to flourish. Because sunlight is not available indoors, indoor gardeners have to provide a light source for their plants and they do this with grow lights. If you are using HID lights, or high intensity discharge lights, one of the side effects that you will notice is that the light bulbs will heat up with use. If you have several grow lights in your indoor garden, as would commonly be found in a greenhouse setting, all of those lights are creating a tremendous amount of heat. While some heat is good for plants, an excess of heat can kill them very rapidly, and so greenhouse growers and other indoor gardeners will need some type of grow room ventilation system, so the excess heat is exhausted outside.

A key component in any grow room ventilation setup are the grow room fans. Fantech Fans is a top manufacturer of grow room fans, and they offer several popular models, including duct fans and inline fans. Fantech fans are made from galvanized steel and come with ball bearings that are permanently sealed. You can fully control the speed, and they make the connection easy for you because the wiring on their grow room fans is external. The grow room fans come in six-inch, eight-inch, ten- and twelve-inch sizes, and a speed control unit is also available.

In addition to grow room fans, there are other parts that you will need to complete your grow room ventilation setup. While the fans are used to move the air around the greenhouse, you will also need a couple of exhaust fans to enable your grow room ventilation to remove stale air from indoors to outdoors. Duct pipe is also used to move air where you want it to go, and this comes in flexible varieties so that it is easy to work with.

Because you are watering plants in an indoor environment, often on impermeable surfaces, plants can also be exposed to too much moisture in an indoor gardening setting. This is not good, because plants can develop fungal diseases if they are exposed to too much water in the atmosphere for an extended period of time. Your grow room ventilation will help to keep good air circulation in the gardening room, so that the water does not have time to sit on the plants’ leaves for long, thereby helping to prevent these types of plant problems.

You can learn more about ventilation systems for grow rooms by visiting an online discount gardening supplier.

Wayne Hemrick writes about grow room ventilation and inline fans

Tags: garden, landscape

A few years ago, we were landscaping our new home and had a consultant come in to give us some ideas. Following behind while she viewed the property, I feverishly took notes as she made suggestions. I figured we’d have a bit of grass, a couple walkways, some gardens – a typical yard, but our consultant had bigger ideas. She stopped at a spot, slightly on a hill, and overlooking trees and marsh., and stated, “This will be your private sitting area.”.

I’m thinking, “sitting area,” isn’t that for the deck or the patio? She went on to explain that a yard should be divided into various sections, each assigned a different theme or function. This particular spot with its nice view and higher elevation, would make a perfect retreat. We took her advice, and proceeded to set this spot aside from the rest of the lawn by creating a floral hedge. We extended our rock path to weave through this area and poured gravel. Finally, we added a concrete bench, birdbath and some planters. Now we had a secluded spot to escape with our morning coffee and enjoy the view.

A backyard retreat is something that can be created in most yards – it just takes a little planning and creativity. This handy guide will help you design your ultimate getaway.

1. When choosing the location for your retreat, begin with an area that already has a nice ambiance. It may be a spot that you’ve always been drawn to, has a pleasing view, or is a little set back from the street and watchful eyes.

2. Once you’ve selected the general area, get out your sketch book and start brainstorming attractive designs for its overall shape. Try and make it flow with what is there, perhaps connecting part of your seating area with an existing flowerbed. You’ll need to design a path leading to your new patio – make it curved, and have it connect to existing paths wherever possible.

3. Use a garden hose to define the shape of the patio and the pathway. Don’t be timid about straying from linear to more free-flowing designs.

4. Create privacy by adding hedges, lattice fencing, trees and flowers. There should be a defined entry point bordered with posts or containers, or even a trellis. For patios built into hills, retaining walls may be necessary.

5. The patio surface can be as simple as gravel, patio stones, slate, flagstone, or whatever fits with your tastes and budget. Add interest by combining different mediums, such as a gravel base with stepping stones for easier walking.

6. Whatever you choose for seating should be low maintenance – you don’t want to be removing it every time it rains. Concrete benches, and wood furniture works well.

7. If your retreat is located in a sunny location, you may consider adding a pergola roof with climbing floral vines, canopy, or a large umbrella.

8. If you don’t have a built-in view, create one. This could be done with ornate shrubs, or a water feature, such as a fountain or pond. Adding a birdbath will also add a source of enjoyment. Make this area your own, by adding artistic elements such as unusual pottery, pictures hung on posts, glass balls or garden sculptures.

9. Depending on what sort of plans you have for your retreat, you may want to add a fire pit, or hot tub.

Remember, this is a place where you’ll be spending considerable time, your retreat should be comfortable, cozy, and reflect your individual needs and personality.

View listings for real estate in Stuart Florida at Waterfront-Properties.com. Our market specialists will show you the wide selection of Juno Beach real estate and answer any questions you may have about this popular oceanfront community.

Tags: design, lighting

Selecting a tree for your yard is a big job. Whether you’re creating a landscape design for a new home or simply replacing a tree that was lost in a storm, trees are the largest and longest-lasting features of any yard. Therefore, you want to be sure that you’re selecting something that will meet your needs now and in the future.

Before you begin tree shopping, it will be important to analyze your needs and wants. What are you hoping to accomplish with this tree? Probably the most common answer to this question is shade. Trees are an obvious choice if you want to shade a certain area of your yard, but trees can also achieve many other objectives such as creating privacy between your home and the neighbors’ houses. Flowering trees or those that feature brilliant fall foliage can create stunning visual centerpieces in your landscape design. Other goals for landscaping with trees might include holding soil in a particular area of your yard or even attracting wildlife such as birds and squirrels.

Once you’ve identified your needs and wants, it’s time to evaluate your soil, climate, and desired location for the tree. Some trees, like crab apples, require a rich, well drained soil. Others such as box elder and gingko are more tolerant of poor soil. For areas with very moist soil, consider a species like willow, which will thrive near drains, streams, and riverbanks.

Climate is also an important consideration. If you don’t know what USDA zone you live in, call your local extension office and find out. All plants are rated as hardy down to a certain zone, and you’ll want to be sure you don’t spend money on something that won’t survive the winter or tolerate the heat in your area. It’s also a good idea to always buy from local nurseries and tree farms. Sometimes large stores with garden centers will get trees shipped in from areas that have very different climates. If you live in Iowa, for example, a maple or oak would be a good hardy tree in your area. However, buying a young oak that came from a tree farm in Georgia would not be a good idea, because the tree might have trouble weather its first winter after being transplanted.

Finally, consider the location on your property where you intend to plant the tree. The size of the area is of great importance. One of the biggest reasons why trees have to be chopped down is because they have outgrown the space where they were planted, a result of the homeowner’s poor planning when selecting the variety of tree. Measure the maximum width that the tree will have to spread out, and then look for trees that will grow no larger than that size. Keep in mind that you don’t want branches overhanging a garage or your home, nor do you want branches tickling the power lines or your home’s siding.

Once you’ve got all this information put together, it’s time to do some research. A trip to the library should yield a vast number of books that will provide resources on trees. Look for a book that details many species of trees and outlines their fully grown size, soil requirements, zone hardiness, and growth rate. Lacking such a resource, you may also be able to get good information from your extension office or a reputable nursery.

By taking the time to evaluate your needs, you will assure that the tree you plant will fit well in your yard, thrive in your climate, and enjoy a long life of meeting yours and your family’s needs.

Once you’ve selected the right tree, you’ll also want a leaf bag holder to help with fall yard cleanup. For free shipping on leaf bag holders, visit Home Products ‘N’ More at www.homeproductsnmore.com

“Xeriscaping” sounds exotic; perhaps something to do with an extraterrestrial landscape.• This is not too far from the truth, as for many San Diego home owners, the idea of having a yard that reflects the natural flora instead of a uniform green lawn is, well, alien.• 

If you’ve ever seen science fiction shows, such as the original Star Trek, the sets of alien worlds were almost uniformly desert-like planets (except in the case of worlds that were paradises of strange and direful natures).• That’s where yards like this belong, say the proponents of turf, lush green outdoor carpets and copious watering systems. The green lawn appears to have been insinuated into the American Dream along with snow at Christmas and family vacations to Disneyland.• The issue becomes heated in areas that just don’t support the green lawn aesthetic, especially when water is scarce and people need it for drinking.• 

Of course, Kirk, Spock and McCoy weren’t trying to get Kentucky bluegrass to grow in the California desert.

For xeriscaping enthusiasts, plants that thrive on San Diego property without the need for excessive watering is the answer to limited water supplies and problems with pesticide use.• Xeriscaping is growing in prominence despite the vicious opposition of many American HOAs and multifamily residential associations. People who have chosen to xeriscape their lawns have been the subject of complaints, served with fines for defying ordinances that support a water-wasteful lawn environment and even the victims of vandalism – their drought-resistant plants uprooted, cut down or mowed. Despite this, more and more communities are waking up to the fact that xeriscaping saves water, lowers pesticide use and makes use of the beautiful natural plantlife that thrives in arid climates.

The problem with the people who think that xeriscaping belongs on TV is that the resources that they depend on to keep their lawns minty-fresh are in short supply.• Water supply has always been an issue for San Diego residents, especially since the majority of them are supplied with water diverted from the Colorado River via the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It just doesn’t make sense to move into an arid environment and struggle to maintain a large expanse of vegetation suited to a temperate, rainy climate.• In times where drought necessitates drastic water restrictions, all your work maintaining your lawn could be negated anyway.

Consider the traditional plight of the San Diego home owner who is trying to keep their lawn green despite not having enough water to maintain it as such.• Brown, dead grass is not attractive and isn’t that enjoyable.• Trying to save or reclaim your lawn from drought is not a fun occupation.• For home owners on a budget that doesn’t allow for water to be trucked in during times of drought, it definitely doesn’t make maintenance any easier to feel that you’re fighting a losing battle.

Money you spend on maintaining your lawn could be much better spent improving your home, saving for vacation or other things you are saving up for.• You can save thousands of dollars in water and maintenance costs by installing plants that thrive in Southern California’s climate.• Go to Europe!• Remodel the bathroom (but only with water-saving showerheads; the DOE frowns on shameless indulgence)!• Buy that utterly frivolous item you’ve always wanted!

Admittedly, an effectively presented xeriscape takes some thought to plan and execute, so you might want the services of a professional who can help you achieve your goals for an attractive outdoor space.• The City of San Diego supports the efforts of both single family homeowners and homeowners in San Diego multifamily residential complexes to introduce a San Diego-friendly landscape to their properties.• Investigate 20gallonchallenge.com for more information on their Smart Landscape Evaluations.

You will also want to research the local bylaws, as there are still people for whom the green lawn is the only way to go and they resent anyone else making a move towards a private area that doesn’t fall into their idea of a “nice lawn”.• These people often populate HOAs and condo associations, so beware.• However, many city and state laws negate the attempts of these short-sighted people to force their neighbors to waste money, resources and time to maintain a green lawn area.

The San Diego County Water Authority has several informational fact sheets about water conservation and xeriscaping at sdcwa.org.• They can be found on the menu under Water Management > Conservation.• In these fun-filled fact sheets, you can find out more about how to conserve water and what plants will live happily in your yard without needing to be regularly flooded with moisture.• There are many plants that are attractive, need little water and can provide you with shade to enjoy your new garden layout.

Joshua Sloan is your San Diego real estate agent at SanDiegoRealEstateBuzz.com. If you’re looking for Encinitas real estate for sale, Joshua can help.

Tags: compost, garden, lighting

Garden sculptures have been a part of the artifacts since long. The history attached to it explains that in the ancient world sculptures of gods and kings were placed in temple compounds, lake sides and groves. The concepts of garden sculptures have been a part of our society since then. Today apart from taking it as a leisurely activity, it is marketed as business too. With the growing aesthetic sense and the knack of making gardens individualistic, people keenly look upto garden sculpture products for decking up their gardens and hence, the garden sculpture business is too taking to new heights.

The manufacturers of such sculptures are generally artists themselves. They channelize their creativity into garden sculpture business and make the most out of it. Now with the advent of online marketing, it has become all the more easier to expand business and pitch potential leads with minimum capital investment. Thus, garden sculpture business can be one of those many profitable business possibilities which artists can explore.

Garden sculptures offer a varied range of artifacts ranging from functional to ornamental to dual purposes art pieces. Since these sculptures have to be placed in an open area where they are exposed to all kinds of weather and season, the material chosen for making such decorative pieces is generally hard enough to bear the extreme conditions of rain, sunlight and winds. Stone, metal, poly-resin and wood are often used for making different garden sculptures. Though wood sculptures do call for extra care efforts in form of regular seal treatment.

Some of the popular garden sculpture products are discussed as follows:

Birdbaths

Bird bath refer to a tiny puddle kind of structure meant for birds to take bath or drink water. These help in attracting a lot of natural wildlife to a landscape and also curbing the swarms of mosquitoes in the vicinity. A bird bath combined with a bird feeder can be all the more attractive for songbirds etc.

Sculpture Benches

A hand carved or stone sculpted bench can be another great way of sprucing up a garden area. A sitting area is invariably needed in every garden and thus, a sculpted bench can indeed be a utility driven art piece. The only thing to remember while considering a sculpted bench is the comfort. Apart from being a one of its kind sculpture, it also has to be comfortable enough for sitting or else the entire purpose of it would be lost.

Statues

Statues are an integral part of garden sculpture products. Some classic stone statues erected in the garden area can do wonders to a simple landscape. Abstract art, cute cherubs and angels or wild animals, a well finessed statue is sure to attract the attention of a viewer.

Stepping Stones

Custom made stepping stones can add a personalize touch to a landscape. One can get some meaningful text or some important initials or a personal favorite design carved onto it. Personalized and hand crafted stepping stones do make amazingly intriguing garden sculptures for sure.

Author has wide knowledge of B2B Marketplace and Business industries. For latest updates and business opportunities on garden sculptures and garden swing , Visit online products directory Catalogs.indiaMART.com

Tags: gardening

It is quite easy to make your garden the best in your locality if you know which high quality garden supplies in Beaverton Oregon to use for regular maintenance of your garden. There are several garden supplies, simple and elaborate, cheaper and expensive that can enhance the aesthetics of your garden beyond expectations.

List of widely used garden supplies in Beaverton Oregon is quite exhaustive. It includes mulch, bark, manure, compost, sod and grass, seeds, top soil, horticultural pumice and many small sized tools and accessories.

One of the most important requisites of good gardening is the good quality garden soil. The soil which is fertile, rich in nutrients and well draining can make your plants and flowers grow healthy. Topsoil which forms the living layer of the earth is highly useful for optimum growth of the plants. It consists of organic and inorganic matter, minerals and water.

Soil conditions, if poor, can be improved with the help of soil amendments. Soil amendments add porosity to the soil.

Garden compost being a natural amendment increases soil’s porosity and enriches it with nutrients that are important for health and growth of plants. Horticultural pumice is also used for soil amendment as it improves aeration, absorption and retention of water by soil.

Mulch is the most common garden supplies Beaverton Oregon which ensures moisture retention and prevents drying of soil. It protects plants and shrubs from weed.

Compost is another very important garden supplies which serves as a nutrient for the growth and survival of plants. It improves structure of soil, its water retention ability and ventilation system. Tillamook compost, rich in nitrogen, is an excellent garden supplies in Beaverton Oregon which contributes to rich growth of plants.

All these garden supplies, available in Beaverton Oregon, can surely make your garden your neighbor’s envy!

Visit BestBuyInTown.biz for all of your garden supplies Beaverton Oregon needs.

Tags: design, lighting

Garden lights can be used to decorate just about any garden. In fact, the saying, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,” fits perfectly in this context. This is because with the amount of effort that goes into creating a beautiful garden, it will be a shame if it all is not complimented with a few well placed light sources. However, this process is not as simple as it sounds. This is because of the myriad commercial light products that are being sold today. People are often confused about the colours, designs or features to choose. Here we shall discuss some tips that will help you beautify your garden and make it a vision to behold, especially at night.

Garden Lights: Power Consumption

This should be the first thing any garden designer should consider. Power consumption in garden lights depends primarily upon the sort of bulb used. They vary between the range of 10W to 100W. Ideally, 80W bulbs are used for heavily planted areas, while the areas that require brighter illumination can have higher wattage.

Regarding mixing up of the various options, Sean Keighran of Creative Garden Design says, “To reduce running costs you should ask the electrician to separate the circuits as much as possible. That you way you have as much control as possible and you will want to be able to layer the lights. For example, if you’re out, you can just leave on the lights for the paths and drives. At other times, when you want to enjoy the garden, you can turn on more of the lights.”

Tips and Tricks for Garden Lights

• Avoid placing garden lights everywhere in the garden. This is because shadows help create a beautiful effect.





• Bollard lights are an ideal solution for lighting up the lower levels in a garden, since they are visually less obstructive than the wall mounts or pole top lights.





• Try and create a unique view for the night. Viewers will only get to see the lighted areas at night. So try and illuminate those areas that do not grab attention during the day.





• Always try and place the garden lights away from direct view. For this, they can be placed behind shrubs or guarded by luminaries.





• Use the best quality material that you budget permits, since such lights will last longer and will require lesser maintenance.

Different Types of Garden Lights

• Preferred Material: Wrought iron is the preferred material for protecting garden lights. Besides providing a rustic look to the equipment, it also serves as a good protecting unit for whatever is stored inside. The fact that it is highly durable and hard wearing also helps, as this makes it less prone to damage. It also serves as a good complement to other iron-based products in the garden.





• Dimmer Switches: These work identically to their indoor counterparts and are a perfect source of controlling the glare in the garden lights. They are the best way to adjust the mood of the garden to reflect the occasion and can also help to cut back on the electricity bill in the long run.





• Coloured and Rotating Lights: The use of coloured sheets over the standard garden lights will help produce patterns of your choosing. These filters can be changed with the seasons to make the garden reflect the colours of that specific time of year. Another innovative way for designing such commercial lights is with the use of rotators. Although expensive, these products can perform the job of several independent lights.





• Bollard Light: Shaped as bollards, these lights are often found along garden paths and driveways. The bulb is always protected, as it resides in the metallic stick and can help outline the perimeter of the area it is used to illuminate.

Kathryn Dawson writes articles for Litecraft Commercial, a leading manufacturer and distributor of commercial light in the UK. Litecraft Commercial carries a range of sturdy, waterproof and vandal resistant outdoor bollard lights that are ideal for low level lighting in gardens and illuminating pathways. Create a more dramatic effect or a beautiful, romantic ambiance with a range of garden lights , ideal for extending long summer barbeque evenings.

Tags: compost, gardening, landscape

Pond liners can be made to fit practically any sized pond and there are a number of choices when it comes to choosing your pond liner, many of them come with a life time warranty and can be very cost effective.
The types of liners available on the market are:-

1) PVC – This is a budget option pond liner which can be purchase in 0.5mm and 0.8mm thickness. A PVC pond liner can be folded and taped to fit your pond and is suitable for smaller ponds, it is advised that you use pond underlay with your PVC liner to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. This type of pond liner does actually come with a lifetime warranty but this will be subject to correct usage and care. PVC pond liners are available in a number of sizes but these sizes are restricted to a maximum of 25m X 12m in the 0.5mm, and 25m X 10m in the 0.8mm, it is not recommended that you try to exceed these sizes by attaching 2 pieces together, if you do require a larger liner then it would be advisable to choose either a Greenseal or Firestone rubber pond liner.

2) Greenseal – This liner is probably the closest to Butyl, as Butyl pond liners are not often an option anymore due to the import costs other liners have been developed to take their place and the Greenseal pond liner is really the next best thing. The Greenseal pond liner can be purchased in thickness of 0.75mm or 1mm and is a textured rubber pond liner that is easy to fold and shape to fit your pond.

Also with a lifetime warranty (subject to care and usage) this liner is available in 8m width X up to 40m length and you can purchase 2 sizes and attach them together if you require a larger size. It is still recommended that you use pond liner underlay, this is simply to protect your liner from any objects which may protrude from the soil beneath.

3) Firestone – Available in 1mm thickness this liner has a smoother rubber texture and although it can still be folded, it may be more difficult to position than the 0.75mm Greenseal simply due to how thick it is. Although this is the toughest pond liner in the market place it is still recommended that a pond liner underlay is used. The Firestone pond liner also has a lifetime warranty subject to care and usage and is available in 15.24m width and up to 30.48m in length.

4) Box Liner – The advantage of these liners is that they fit to the exact size of your pond and are ideal for odd shaped ponds. The only disadvantage is that you may have to pay a little more and wait a little longer, but when your liner arrives at least you will be able to place it straight into you pond with little messing and no creasing. You do have to be spot on with the measurements that you give for your box liner, in fact you have to be to the exact cm or you will find that you have to dig a little further or fill in your pond so that your liner fits.

5) Pond Liner Underlay – This is a vital purchase with any of the pond liners as it will help to protect your pond liner from any foreign particles such as rocks and roots in the soil underneath. You should always try to remove as many objects as you possibly can from the soil to try to reduce any damage being caused to your liner, as even though the underlay will provide much more protection than not having any at all the underlay could still be damaged causing risk to your liner. Underlay is always the best option of protection for your liner as it will not rot over time and so should always provide a protective barrier for your liner as long as you need it.

There is also the ability to extend or fix your liner into the desired shape, to do this you would need 2 items which are quick prime plus and form flash repair tape. These items should be used in conjunction with one another, quick prime plus is an adhesive which needs to be pasted onto your pond liner, the attaching/folding piece of liner is then placed on top and you then seal this with the form flash repair tape. You can also purchase tools to assist you when doing this such as rollers which will help to secure the liners together as securely as possible.

If by any chance your liner does spring a leak, do not despair as there are ways which you can fix it. First of all you will need to establish where the leak is coming from; you may have a good idea if for example you have dropped something sharp into the pond. If you think that the damage is toward the top of the pond you could choose to let the pond drain of its own accord until it is below this level, then add baking powder along the part of the liner where the water has drained and the leak will be highlighted with a damp spot as water can still seep through from the underside of the liner. To repair the liner you will need a PVC patch if you have a PVC liner or a rubber repair kit if it is a rubber pond liner, these kits create a waterproof barrier and so your liner will again be able to hold water with no problems.

Keep in mind though that if you are unsure where exactly the leak is you really shouldn’t just let the water drain as if it is lower in the pond liner then you could risk killing any fish you have in your pond. If you do not know where the leak is it is recommended that you filter the pond water into a holding tank and also transfer your fish. The pond liner then can still be repaired in the same way as mentioned earlier and if you do find that you have to drain the entire pond then it might also be a good idea to do any required pond maintenance whilst you are there.

Mark Cropper works for Swell UK, a leading online retailer of pond supplies including Pond Liners, Water Features and Rattan Garden Furniture.

Tags: design, gardening

There’s a lot to be said for poignancy. It’s stark, sometimes bleak, always contrasting and always a hard-hitter. I love it, if only for its ability to emphasize understanding, comprehension and for the sudden epiphany of thought it can bring about in a person. Wind spinners have done that to me before, and I doubt they’ll stop any time soon. There’s something serene, contemplative and natural about watching the lights go out over the horizon, eschewing the safety of the sun in favor of its brilliant cousin, the moon. When dusk settles, it’s a magical time as the light hits and reflects off the edges of the spinner, and when you’re there to behold, oh behold, it’s a marvelous thing indeed.

Wind spinners have been around for quite some time, and that means its design obviously has done something right. We have been in awe and watched them for centuries, even millennia now since ancient Greece produced them. They provide a focal point to wash away the worries of the day, let you get lost in their mesmerizing twirls. It’s a small comfort when the day presses hard on your brow, but a comfort it is nonetheless. There are a number of reasons why this is, from the shape and contours to the colors it produces when struck by a beam of light, down to a very primal urge to be inspired. We have, as time wears on, been privy to insights and strings of thought that wouldn’t have been possible were it not for a simple act of daydreaming. The wind spinner provides this in spades, I myself have gotten lost in its entrancing movement more than once and shortly after have come up with some thought or idea that I hadn’t looked at in a similar light before.

The truly remarkable thing about them though, is how well-received they are in a number of industries and markets today. From lawn and garden to home dè(c)cor and gift, wind spinners span a wide berth of demographics and the people they’re meant to sell to. This makes them available to numerous different types of people, young and old, male and female and everyone else in between. That in and of itself is a remarkable feat, as not many products can fit into such niches neatly like the wind spinner has. This impact on the markets is incredible, allowing multiple vendors to open up a section they might not have had before, increasing revenue and potentially shaping the face of a business. Few other products can say they have that kind of raw potential, that kind of clout.

Lastly, the wind spinner itself is an object that has stood the test of time. Though its form has changed somewhat, its overall function and stark beauty remain unabashedly bold. Wind spinners are here to stay, and will change the world around you if you let them.

For more information about wind spinner, you can visit IronStop.com website.

Tags: landscape

Unlike formal lawn gardens, where you need not to worry about changing composts, the container garden require frequent or periodic replacement of composts in the tubs, pots, hanging baskets, window boxes, urns. Because the over time the composts deteriorate with drainage and aeration becomes poor.

Potting On

As we know that small plants do good in small containers, but it is essential to pot on to the containers two times larger than the precious container before they become container bound. This doesn’t mean that you put small plant in a large container, because the large amount of compost around its roots may cause them to rot. Yes, for large plants you can start off with larger container to accommodate them well. The ideal time for potting on is the early spring.

Repotting

It is ideal for plants to repot them every year to ensure a fresh supply of compost to them. The ideal time definitely would be the early spring.

If you need to repot a large plant, you may need a help of other person. To begin with, place the container on its side and ask other person to tap the rim of the container with a wood block gently. In mean time, the first person pulls the plants softly and steadily until the root ball would slide out.

What you need to do now is to reduce the size of the soil ball by tapping away about 5 cm (2 inches) of the compost from the sides, bottom and top. You can also prune the roots as well. Cover the root ball of the plant with wet sacking to avoid drying out. Now rub off the container properly and wash it with water to remove all the traces of compost from it. Allow it to air dry properly. Once the container is dry, replace the plant in its container with fresh compost.

If for some reasons repotting is not possible, you can simply do the topdressing in spring. You need to remove about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of old compost from the container and put some fresh compost to fill the depth.

Other Techniques

If you use your container for seasonal plants, i.e. like for spring or summer bedding, then it is recommended to replace the compost after every second year or so to keep its strength intact.

Hanging baskets are usually used for seasonal plants and it is suggested that change the compost at the end of each season before planting new plants.

The perennials and alpines are such species of plants which often get split or divided in the container in small portions. There is no need to buy the new plants in that case. In this case reviving the double walls can be enough to keep things under controlled.

Large plants or raised beds or borders may need no trimming for long time. Although they grow in their sizes over time, they don’t need immediate consideration; instead you can lift and divide the perennials and groups the bulbs after every three or four years.

You might also be interested in learning about Put back Composts in Container Garden and also Plan Your Garden Floor with Timber Decking.

Tags: garden, landscape, landscaping